Beneath a Sea of Blood

Emerald hurried down the cramped hall, tightening his captain’s jacket around himself as he instinctively ducked through the hatch and entered the submarine’s bridge.

”Captain on the bridge!” The comms officer called out upon Emerald’s entrance.

The senior officers, and other bridge crew present glanced his way, then turned their focus back to their stations as Emerald went to Steel Wheel, his first officer.

“What’s our status?” Emerald asked.

“We’ve got a fleet ahead of us, at least ten ships,.” Steel said.

“Convoy or assault?”

“Sonar suggests an assault fleet.”

“Alright; rise to periscope death.”

“We’re already there, sir.”

“Good; up periscope.”

With a barely-audible hiss, the sub’s periscope viewer descended from the ceiling. Flipping the handles into place, Emerald pressed his eyes to the lenses and took a look at the ships in the distance.

“Assault fleet,” Emerald announced. “Aircraft carrier and a battleship. Four cruisers and four destroyers for escort.”

“Orders, sir?”

Emerald considered his options. The battleship and aircraft carrier were tempting targets, sending even one to the bottom was a considerable blow to Nightmare Moon’s maritime capabilities; it was also well known that the tyrant loved her battleships, and the thought of her throwing a hissy fit at learning that one was now scrap metal on the ocean floor made Emerald smile… but the carrier was a more valuable target. The planes it carried could fly further than any shell hurled from a turret, and the bombs and torpedoes they carried were a serious threat to any vessel.

“Sir?” Steel asked.

“We’re going for the carrier.” Even without pulling away from the eyepiece, Emerald could feel his crew tensing up. “Fire a quick spread from the forward tubes at the carrier, turn around, fire another spread from the aft tubes towards any escorts, then dive as deep as we can. Battlestations.”

“Aye. All hands, battlestations.”

No alarms blared, but Emerald could feel his ship coming to life around him as the crew readied themselves, the senior officers relaying orders to the engine and torpedo rooms while staying as quiet as possible, years of training and practice allowing each of them to work together with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine.

“All engines, slow to one third,” Emerald said.

“All engines, one third, aye,” the pony at the speaking tubes said, then relayed the orders back to the engine room.

The subtle vibration beneath Emerald’s boots came to a near-stop.

Blinking to clear his vision, Emerald tapped a button on the side of the periscope, using the computing machine to calculate the distance, time, and angle to target.

“Torpedo room reports torpedo ready,” Steel Wheel said.

Now came the hardest part: Waiting for the fleet to get into position. Emerald’s submarine had been lucky to detect the fleet and be in the optimum position to attack. They just had to wait for the fleet to continue on, unaware that they were-—

“Conn, sonar; new contact!” Vinyl Scratch said from her station. “Bearing one eight zero!”

Emerald spun, turning the periscope until he was facing to the aft of the sub… but nothing was there. No ships, no planes, nothing but empty sea.

“Sonar, re-check readings. Make sure we—”

“Conn! Torpedoes in the water, torpedoes in the water! Three astern!”

Instinct and training took over as Emerald snapped the handles into place and sent the periscope viewer back up. “Emergency dive!”

“Diving!” Steel Wheel said.

The control room tilted as the sub headed down at its steepest angle, the ballast operators having ejected all ballast while the engine crew sent the engines into overdrive. Staying quiet had been thrown out in favor of going down as quickly as possible.

“Sonar!” Emerald yelled. “Time to impact?!”

“Fifteen seconds!”

Emerald gripped the nearest console. “Hard to starboard!”

“Hard to starboard, aye!”

The engines roared, trying to push them all into the sea’s dark embrace.

“Ten seconds to impact!” Vinyl said. “Five seconds!”

Emerald tightened his grip. They could still get clear; he knew how fast this sub could go, and—

There was a thunderous bang, and the control room shook. Water sprayed in from burst pipes in the bulkheads, drenching everyone as the lights went out. And in those few seconds, as he was hit by the bone-chilling cold of the water, Emerald had just one thought—

They had failed.

The water’s roar became overpowering, drowning everything out…

And then it stopped.

The lights snapped back on as the submarine leveled out. With a clang, the conning tower hatch opened, and someone climbed down.

“Congratulations, Captain,” Shining Armor said as he stepped onto the deck. “Your submarine has been destroyed, and everyone under your command is now dead.”

Emerald couldn’t bear to look the admiral in the eyes. “Yes, sir.”

“Tell me what happened.”

Taking a moment to bury his anger and his shame, Emerald replayed the attack in his mind, noting each individual detail and order he had given, all while trying to shut out the anger and disappointment from his fellow students at screwing this up.

“We were attacked from behind by an enemy submarine that had been tracking us,” Emerald said. “It likely fired one torpedo to make us panic and dive, and then fired three more at a deeper depth to hit us as we dived, spreading them apart to account for us going to port or starboard, and accounting for our speed in an emergency dive.”

The admiral nodded. “That’s exactly what happened. And now that you’ve been sunk, you’ll know to keep a closer eye on your sonar in your next engagement… as will your sonar operator.”

Wishing that she could become invisible, Vinyl Scratch slouched in her chair, trying not to draw attention to herself.

Shining surveyed the miserable, water-soaked students around him. “You’ve heard this before, and you’ll hear it again: the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in battle. The more you fail here, the more you learn. The more you learn, the better you get. And the better you get, the better you will be when you all finally go to sea. Do not be ashamed of failure; be grateful for it. Now, dry off, clean up, and we’ll do another run tomorrow morning. Dismissed.”

Shining Armor headed back up the ladder, leaving everyone to get up from their stations, wipe the water from their manes, and silently make their way to the exit. Only Emerald remained where he was, not looking at anyone or anything, his body shaking.

With a bang audible to everyone in the room, he slammed a fist into the console.

***

As was customary for all aspiring submarine captains, Emerald waited until all of his fellow students left the simulator before he walked across the gangplank and stepped onto solid ground, leaving the training submarine to lie within its cradle of pumps and gears that allowed it to move about and simulate being at sea with perfect accuracy. His clothes had aired out to the point that he was now just damp instead of wet, and Emerald wanted to head straight for the showers and let the hot water wash away the gunk and grime on his skin and in his soul, but one of his fellow cadets had waited for him.

“Let me guess,” Emerald said with a flat voice. “You’re the one who sank me.”

Diamond beamed.

“One day, Diamond,” Emerald said, “you’re going to be the one getting drenched.”

“In your dreams”

Emerald didn’t answer.

“Hey, it’s like the admiral says: Don’t be ashamed of failure. One day, you’ll be… almost as good as me! Now, come on, I’ll get you some ice cream to cheer you up.”

“I’m not in the mood,” Emerald said.

“Which is exactly why you need a pick-me-up. Besides, are you really going to pass up on free ice cream?”

***

Being Equestria’s biggest naval academy, Baltimare’s naval base was busy twenty four hours a day with students going to and from classes; ships coming and going on various missions and exercises; and administrative staff attending various meetings and briefings. In such a sea of hurried activity, there were still a few places one could find refuge from the demands of the navy if one knew where to look; one of them being the academy’s ice cream parlor. Also standing as one of the few places on the grounds that served to bring everyone together regardless of rank or status, the parlor was always bustling with activity, making it all the more surprising for it to be largely empty as Emerald and Diamond approached it.

“Well, this is your lucky day,” Diamond said as she opened the door and went inside. “Now, I know you want to drown your sorrows, but let’s just settle for a single scoop, not a tub, okay?” She went to the self-serve counter and got herself two scoops.

“Didn’t you just say one scoop only?”

“For you. Me? I’m celebrating another win.” Chuckling, Diamond patted her well-toned chest as she handed her bits to the clerk behind the counter. “That’s something the higher-ups should say in all those recruitment ads: PT and training burns off ice cream faster than you can eat it!”

Emerald said nothing as he got a single scoop of cotton candy ice cream and joined Diamond at a booth near the windows. Taking his spoon, he started to eat.

“Man, that loss must have really gotten to you,” Diamond said. “You’re usually never this quiet.”

“Just disappointed, that’s all,” Emerald said.

“I think it’s more than that,” Diamond said. “You do a good job of hiding it, but I see how much you hate to lose. I think everyone else sees it, too, and it’s been getting worse these past few months.” She took a big bite of her ice cream. “Don’t worry; finals are still a year away. Plenty of time for you to catch up to me.”

“Being too confident will come back to bite you,” Emerald pointed out.

“Yeah, but remember, submarine warfare is a game of deception, and that includes acting cocky to lure your opponent into a false sense of complacency. Make them think you’re rash, and the moment they lower their guard… pow! Torpedo right up the bow.”

Emerald took a spoonful of his ice cream, savoring the taste, focusing his attention on the flavorful, delicious sweetness as the cream melted on his tongue. “It’s not that I want to be better than you,” he said. “Or anyone else.”

Diamond listened, puzzled.

“Did I ever tell you who my father was?” Emerald asked.

Diamond shook her head.

“Steel Prow.”

“No way… really?! The Steel Prow? Greatest submarine captain Equestria’s ever seen?!”

Emerald nodded.

“Holy shit, Emerald… so that’s why you joined the navy? To make him proud?”

“Something like that.” Emerald took another scoop of his ice cream. “You know, I never wanted to join the navy when I was growing up. Dad was always out on patrol; I saw how worried Mom was, how she got grey hairs in her mane decades before she should have. I didn’t want her to worry about me if I went out there.”

“Then why’d you change your mind?”

The door opened as four cadets came in and went to the counter. As they got their scoops, they looked over to Emerald and Diamond, none bothering to hide their disgust.

“I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing,” Emerald said, ignoring the cadets. “I had to do my part to help win the war, no matter what others thought of me.”

The cadets took a seat a few booths away. Emerald could feel their eyes boring into him, but he once again ignored them.

“I was hoping some of Dad’s greatness could rub off on me… but it hasn’t. He was at the top of his class within months, more so than you. I’m nowhere close to where he was.”

“You’re never going to be him,” Diamond said. “You shouldn’t even try.” She took a scoop of her own ice cream. “What about your mom?” Diamond asked. “I mean, she’s gotta be worried about you now.”

Emerald didn’t answer.

“Emerald?”

“She’s not worried about me,” Emerald said, his low tone warning Diamond that he didn’t want to talk about her.

The two ate their ice cream, both waiting for the awkward energy to dissipate.

“So,” Emerald said. “How many do you think are going to make it?”

“Make it?”

“Graduate from our class.”

“Oh, everyone. But if you’re talking about captains… Well, there’ll be me, obviously. A few others. You’ll be in there, no doubt. Everyone else should be good sailors. But you need to work on controlling your anger; the higher ups and everyone else don’t want a captain who loses his temper.”

Something hit Emerald in the forehead. He flinched, then calmed down at realizing it was just a plastic spoon. He brushed it aside.

“Hey!” Diamond turned to face the other cadets. “What’s your problem?!”

The cadets ignored her.

“I said, what’s your problem?!”

“Diamond, leave it,” Emerald said. He picked up the spoon and tossed it in a nearby trash can.

“You’re just going to take it?”

Emerald looked to the cadets, recognizing their cold, malevolent stares; countless bullies from school had watched him from afar with that same gaze, silently promising him that they were going to make his life a living hell the moment no one else was looking.

“Remember what we were taught: pick your battles wisely.”

“So you’re just going to let them win?”

“It was a spoon. It’s not worth getting so worked up over. Now, come on. Let’s just finish this outside.”

Diamond clearly wasn’t having any of it, as she shoved her own bowl to the side, got up, and stormed towards the others. “Hey, dirtbags,” she said. “You didn’t answer me earlier, so I’ll ask again: You got a problem?”

The four ignored her as they continued to eat.

“I think you do,” Diamond said, spreading her wings. “You’re afraid we’re gonna yell, ‘Hail the night!’ and try to suck your blood, don’t you? That we’ll—”

One of the cadets tossed his ice cream into Diamond’s face, got up, and headed for the door laughing. The other three did the same, shoving Diamond aside, knocking her to the floor.

Shaking, Diamond leapt to her feet wiping the ice cream from her muzzle. Emerald recognized the look on her face, immediately realizing what she intended to do.

“Diamond! Don’t—”

Grabbing the last cadet, Diamond threw him into a booth. Instantly, the other three ran back inside and tackled Diamond, ramming her into a table, knocking it, the accompanying chairs, and everyone to the floor, where they pummeled her, silently slamming their fists into her face.

In an instant, it was like Emerald was a child again: back in elementary school, the victim of another bully thinking they could harass and hurt a thestral and get away with it, knowing that they almost certainly would. But it wasn’t happening to him this time, but his friend—his only real friend in the entire academy. Back then, Emerald would have given anything to have someone come and save him. Nobody ever did, but now he could try to be the hero he never had.

“Stop it!” Emerald ran to the group, grabbed the cadet closest to him, yanking him off. “Don’t—”

A fist slammed into his snout, and Emerald staggered back, tripping on a chair and landing hard on the tiled floor. Blood dripped down his mouth and onto his uniform, but there was no shock, nor stunned silence at the realization that he had been hit. Instead, Emerald got back to his hooves, horrified at the sight of the cadets hammering Diamond again and again, their fists wet with blood.

There would be no stopping them, Emerald realized. Their anger and hate had taken over, and it could not be reasoned with. He had to do the one thing he had feared being forced to do, otherwise Diamond could be crippled, or even killed.

Grabbing the nearest chair, Emerald reared back and brought it down on the back of the pony who had punched him. The cadet yelled, stumbling away from Diamond, the blinding pain forcing him to stop his attack.

Emerald’s plan had worked. Unfortunately, it had worked too well, for the other three spun to face him.

Emerald only had time to thrust his makeshift weapon forward like a spear as the cadets charged. The chair hit the closest cadet, who seized and ripped it from his hands, then swung the chair in an attempt to hit him in the head. Ducking, Emerald countered with a punch to his attacker’s gut, only to reel from a hit from behind, dazing him. More hits landed, fists and chairs smashing into him, and he knew he had succeeded in his plan—their focus was on him, not Diamond.

He collapsed to the ground, blinded from the pain.

Something loud pierced through the air in the distance: a shrill, shrieking blast. Then there were sounds of yelling and shouting, followed by more shrill blasts. Through his blurred vision, Emerald saw his attackers be yanked away from him by officers dressed in military police uniforms. Another officer approached, kneeling beside Emerald, yelling… something. Emerald couldn’t make out what he was saying; his brain was too flooded with pain to interpret sounds. Thankfully, he could still see (barely), so he watched as two officers dragged Diamond to her hooves and out of the store, even as she fought to break free and claw at the cadets with her bloody hands.

***

“And you’re sure of that?”

“Yes, sir,” Emerald said. “Diamond went to confront the others. She…” He stopped, waiting for his headache to subside. “Sorry.”

“Take your time.”

When the pain faded enough, Emerald continued. “She asked what their problem was, and they threw their ice cream on her before trying to leave.”

“Then she attacked them.”

Emerald knew what telling the truth would do to Diamond’s career, but he had no choice. “Yes,” he said, “but they ganged up on her.”

Making a note of that, the MP continued. “One of the cadets said you attacked him.”

“I did. If the group kept attacking Diamond, they would either cripple or kill her, and I had to stop them.”

“I see… once you’ve recovered, we’ll need to cast a truth spell on you to confirm your account is accurate.”

“I understand.”

With one final note, the MP put his notepad into a pocket. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Seas.” He left the infirmary, leaving Emerald to lie back in his chair and gulp down another pain pill.

The door opened again as someone entered. Emerald opened his mouth to say that, no, he wasn’t ready for the spell yet, and for the caster to come back later, but his visitor wasn’t another military police officer. Scrambling, Emerald instinctively tried to stand up and give a salute.

“At ease, cadet,” Shining Armor said.

Relieved, Emerald sat back down.

“Care to explain what happened?”

Wishing that the pain pill would work faster, Emerald spent the next ten minutes explaining everything that transpired in the ice cream parlor, the admiral quietly listening without saying a word. When he finished, Emerald patiently waited as Shining Armor contemplated the story.

After a moment, Emerald decided to break the silence. “I am willing to submit to a truth spell.”

“Oh, I have no doubt that you’re telling the truth,” Shining said. “If it’s any consolation, the cadets who attacked you and Diamond will be charged with assault and expelled.”

It was of some consolation, yes, but Emerald could not shake a feeling of dread at the likelihood those cadets would somehow find a way back into the navy, then hunt him down for revenge. Justice for thestrals? That just didn’t happen. Not in Emerald’s experience, no matter what even the great Shining Armor may suggest. And speaking of justice…

“What about Diamond?” Emerald was certain that she would face a similar fate as well, though without any recourse.

Shining Armor sighed. “She is to be commended for standing up to bigots… but we can’t ignore the fact that she started the fight.”

“Is she going to be expelled?”

“No.”

Emerald sighed.

“But she will spend the next two months in the brig, and another five on probation,” Shining said, “and I will put you in for a commendation for trying to protect her, especially at such great risk to yourself.”

Emerald blankly stared at the wall, unsure how to take this all in. He didn’t want attention, but telling Shining Armor “no”? Non-thestrals simply didn’t understand what being put in the spotlight did to thestrals—you might as well paint a target on our backs. Yet, Shining Armor was different. Maybe he would understand his plight. Emerald had to decline, even if it jeopardized his chance for command. He inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, then sat up as straight as his battered body would allow.

“Permission to speak freely, Sir.”

“Of course.”

“I appreciate what you want to do, but I’d rather not be recognized for this,” Emerald said. “It’ll just put a target on my back.”

“Emerald, you’re working to become a submarine captain,” Shining said. “You are going to be noticed one way or another. You will have to get used to that.”

Emerald nodded, trying his best to hide his disappointment.

Sensing that his words didn’t have the encouraging effect he was going for, the admiral tried another way. “I’m aware that, as a thestral, you face a higher level of scrutiny than other cadets. I don’t know how much mistreatment you’ve endured in your life, Emerald, but the fact that you are going to become a captain and no one has tried to stop you shows that not everyone objects to you and Diamond being here.”

He came closer to the bed. “You’ve proven to me that you are a trustworthy and dependable captain. If the worst comes to worse, I will vouch for you against anyone who questions your capability.”

Shocked and surprised, Emerald found himself unable to answer; the admiral had never said anything like that to him.

“For now, just focus on getting better,” Shining said. “Take the rest of the day off, and check in with a nurse tomorrow morning. If she clears you, I look forward to seeing you back at the simulator.”

Then, with a salute, Shining Armor left, leaving a surprised Emerald to watch him go.

***

Like every naval installation, the Baltimare Naval Base had a detention center for personnel who committed crimes, caused a ruckus, or who had too much to drink off-hours and needed a place to sleep it off. Emerald was proud that he had never been to the building since enlisting, as he had fought hard to maintain a spotless disciplinary record, never giving anyone around him any excuse to call the MPs to haul him away for starting a fight, throwing a punch, or a myriad of other things that could end his career. But that didn’t ease the anxiety he felt as he walked up to the structure.

The brig was a large, imposing structure of grey, weathered concrete, with only a single door for personnel to go through. Doing so himself, Emerald wasn’t surprised to see that the waiting room was as dismal as the exterior with a polished concrete floor, drab concrete walls, and hard plastic seats to sit in. Only a few blue stripes on the walls provided any color or cheer as he went to the check-in area.

“Emerald Seas to visit Diamond Waters,” Emerald told the receptionist behind the reinforced glass.

The bored receptionist filled out the requisite paperwork for visitors, took Emerald’s personal belongings, and dispatched a large, muscular guard to guide him through the security checkpoints. One he was through, Emerald was then escorted into one of the prison’s two main wings, but instead of heading into a normal cell block, he was guided down a locked stairwell to the building’s high-security wing: a windowless place without even a splash of color on the walls, lit only by lights embedded in the ceiling. All the cells were empty, save for one at the end of the hall.

Sighing, Emerald looked at the guard, who simply stared wordlessly back, and made his way over and stood in front of the cell door. “Hello, Diamond.”

Diamond—now dressed in the tan uniform of an inmate instead of the vivid blue of a cadet—got off her bunk and went to the barred door.

Behind Emerald, the guard retreated a short distance away to give the two some privacy, while remaining just close enough to intervene should something nefarious happen.

“How are you doing?” Emerald asked.

Diamond let out a forced half-laugh. “Oh, I’m stuck in this cell inside a windowless building of concrete with nothing to do but stare at the walls, eat bread, drink water, and walk around in an enclosed courtyard for twenty minutes a day. Other than that, I’m just peachy.”

“I spoke with the admiral yesterday,” Emerald said, glad to see that Diamond’s sense of humor was still intact. “He said that the cadets who attacked you are going to be expelled.”

She smiled. “Well, that’s great.”

“You’ll also be glad to hear that you’re not going to be expelled.”

“Even better!”

“You’re lucky you weren’t.”

“Probably, but I’m too valuable for the higher-ups to kick me to the curb. I’m the best captain they’ve got here. They get rid of me, and who are they going to turn to, then? Fancy Comet? You?” She stopped herself. “No offense, by the way.”

Emerald shrugged. “None taken.”

“Point is, I’m too good. I’m too valuable. That’s my ace-in-the-hole, and the higher ups know it.”

“Did you have that in mind when you attacked those cadets?”

Diamond just smiled.

Aware that the guard was watching them, and that she didn’t have much in the way of patience, Emerald decided that he needed to move this along. “Well, I’ll come visit you when I can,” he said.

“Eh, don’t worry about me,” Diamond waved away his comment. “I can take care of myself. I’ve done my fair share of overnight stays in jails.”

“This is a little longer than overnight.”

“A night, two months, what’s the difference? Besides, now that I’m here, you’ll have the chance to actually win some of those simulations now.”

Emerald wasn’t impressed. “Maybe, but I won’t learn much going against people at my level. I need to be tested by those who are better.”

Diamond grinned. “Oh, don’t worry: I’ll keep putting you through your paces once I get out. But since you’re the only one who’s paid me a visit here, I’ll give you a little hint to help get you ready: If you want to win, you’ve got to do the unexpected. You gotta startle your opponent so much that it’ll buy you the second or two you need to act… Not gonna help you when you face me in the finals, though.”

“Oh, we’ll see. Still another year before that comes along.”

Reaching through the bars, Diamond patted Emerald on the shoulders. “You just keep telling yourself that... and calm down, missy. I’m just petting him.”

The guard had started towards the two when Diamond reached through the bars of her cell. Realizing that this could get ugly fast, Emerald raised his hand to indicate that everything was okay. The guard stopped, but didn’t retreat like she had before.

“Of course, the real hard part comes after we graduate,” Diamond said.

“We knew we were going to face combat when we enlisted,” Emerald pointed out.

“No, not that,” Diamond said. “I’m talking about everyone else: I’m betting half of the academy thinks we’re just biding our time until we can steal a sub and sail straight off to Nightmare Moon. Those losers in the shop thought so.” Diamond motioned to the guard. “You’re thinking that, too, right?”

The guard didn’t respond.

“You’re not helping yourself by antagonizing her,” Emerald said.

“But she’s thinking about it. I know she is. Everyone in this place is thinking it: all the other inmates get cushy cells with windows and daylight. Me? I get the worst cell in the place with nothing but electric lights.”

“Maybe it’s because thestrals favor darkness,” Emerald said.

“Don’t kid yourself, Emerald; nobody likes batponies, so they buried me down there. I’ve had it happen at every other jail I’ve been in.”

“That’s not true,” Emerald said. “If everyone hated us, we wouldn’t have gotten as far as we have. The admiral thinks highly of us.”

Diamond was silent.

“We’re showing them we can be trusted,” Emerald said. “We’re proving it.”

“But how long are we gonna have to do that? Until we graduate? Until we complete our first mission? Our tenth? Our twentieth?”

“Then that’s their problem,” Emerald said. “Not ours.”

Diamond stopped. “Why do you do it, Emerald?” she asked, and for once she wasn’t joking or making a snide observation.

“Do what?”

“Put up with all this? Let these ponies walk all over you?”

“Because I know that if I lose control even once, I’ll be written off.”

“But you’re a doormat! You—”

“I was violent back in grade school,” Emerald said. “I learned really quickly that fighting back led to expulsions, and I learned that most ponies don’t give us second chances. I learned that I had to always be the better one.”

“Really? You know what I learned on the streets? That everyone’s going to walk all over you unless you fight back. And guess what? I survived; I even made it here.”

Emerald tapped one of the bars. “And now you’re in here.”

“And I would do it all again before I let some bigot walk all over me.”

Emerald rubbed his face.

“What? Can’t stand the truth?”

“I’m worried that this temper of yours is going to get you into serious trouble one day.”

“It might,” Diamond admitted. “But I’ll pull through as I always have, and as I always will. You? I don’t think you could. The world walks all over you, and you let it. Bullies in school, then bullies on the base, and the bullies in the parlor.”

“I fought them,” Emerald pointed out.

“Yeah, after they beat me up. If you had helped me out and had my back, we could have made them leave before things got ugly. But no; you let them get their way. And if you don’t change, next time they’ll beat you within an inch of your life, and I won’t be there to help you.”

Going back to her bunk, Diamond lay down, her back turned to Emerald.

Emerald stood there for a few moments longer before sighing and turning away. He started towards the exit, letting the guard take the lead, the only sound in the cell block being the raps of her boots on the floor.

As they reached the entrance back to the entry hall, the guard glanced back at Emerald. She didn’t say anything, but Emerald knew she was wondering what he thought of Diamond’s words.

He didn’t meet the guard’s gaze—or anyone else’s—as he left the building.